Strikes & public holidays to hamper banking operations from Dec 21-26

Banking operations across the country are expected to take a hit during Christmas. Bank unions have called for an all India strike on December 21 and December 26. As December 22, 23 and 25 are public holidays, only one day, December 24, will be a working day for public dealing.

The All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC) has convened a day-long strike on December 21 against the merger of three public sector banks Vijaya Bank, Bank of Baroda and Dena Bank and to take up the issue of wage revision. It has also pressed for better pay.

The AIBOC strike call notice, which was issued after the confederation walked out of bipartite negotiations with the Indian Banks' Association (IBA), has demanded a full mandate for scale I to scale VII officers to negotiate wage revision, introduce five-day work week, revise salaries according to the charter of demands and give a defined benefit pension payment scheme unlike the NPS. It has also opposed the IBA's offer to discuss the issue of wage revision of officers up to scale III with the officers' associations.

On the other hand, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), which comprises nine unions of officers and employees of scale III and IV, has given a call for strike on December 26. UFBU has also demanded that the merger of Vijaya Bank, Bank of Baroda and Dena Bank should be called off. Further, UFBU has strongly opposed has the IBA's revised offer of a 8 per cent hike and wants it to further revise its offer substantially to an acceptable level.

Raman Vaghela, spokesman of AIBOC in Gujarat, said that they want to ensure that their issues are not sidelined during the nationwide general strike on December 26 and so they have planned a separate strike but are also participating in the December 26 strike. He said that normal banking activity will be disrupted on December 21 as officers giving approval for key decisions will not be working.

The Only Saviour

Bank unions have called for an all India strike on Dec 21 and Dec 26. As December 23, 23 and 25 are public holidays, only one day, December 24, will be a working day for public dealing